Zero-down USDA Guaranteed Loans are the most popular rural development mortgage program in Texas. These loans are available for anyone with low to moderate income to purchase a home in approved rural areas with no down payment.  The USDA Guaranteed Loan Program is also the favorite no-down payment mortgage in Texas for non-veterans today, and can be used for a broader range of applicant incomes than USDA Direct Loans.

What are Texas USDA Loans?

The USDA loan program was created by the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development, also known as “USDA RD”. USDA Guaranteed Loans (also known as USDA Section 502 Guaranteed Loans) are a mortgage program for low and moderate income mortgage applicants. Texas USDA loans provide low-cost, government insured mortgage options that suit a variety of home buying needs. The most common mortgages offered through USDA are known as “Guaranteed” loans. USDA Guaranteed Loans are 100% financing mortgages, which means you can use them to buy a home with no down payment.

Texas USDA Loan Requirements

USDA loan requirements mainly focus on the home loan applicant and the property. First off, the home must be located in an approved rural areas to be considered eligible for USDA financing. Second off, the home buyer must meet all income requirements set forth by USDA. These income limits are established through a combination of debt-to-income ratios and income ceilings that equal 115% of the area median income (AMI) for the particular area. Statewide, Texas carries a median household income of $61,874, but that can vary from county to county. Ultimately, the applicant must also meet all lender requirements for mortgage approval which include:

  • Credit Requirements
  • Income Requirements
  • Documentation Requirements

Texas USDA Loan Limits

USDA doesn’t set specific maximum loan amounts for guaranteed mortgages. Instead, local limits are determined by a combination of the area USDA maximum income limit and the borrower’s debt-to-income ratios. This approach means that guaranteed Texas USDA loan limits are fluid and based upon numerous factors. The limits listed below are based on approximate calculations. Actual guaranteed loan limits may vary.

Area
1-4 Person Households
5-8 Person Households
Abilene, TX MSA$306,000$391,000
Amarillo, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Anderson County, TX$306,000$391,000
Andrews County, TX$340,000$431,000
Angelina County, TX$306,000$391,000
Aransas County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Atascosa County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Austin County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$408,000
Austin-Round Rock, TX MSA$374,000$483,000
Bailey County, TX$306,000$391,000
Baylor County, TX$306,000$391,000
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Bee County, TX$306,000$391,000
Blanco County, TX$306,000$391,000
Borden County, TX$323,000$417,000
Bosque County, TX$306,000$391,000
Brazoria County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$374,000$483,000
Brewster County, TX$306,000$391,000
Briscoe County, TX$306,000$391,000
Brooks County, TX$306,000$391,000
Brown County, TX$306,000$391,000
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA$306,000$391,000
Burnet County, TX$306,000$391,000
Calhoun County, TX$306,000$391,000
Camp County, TX$306,000$391,000
Cass County, TX$306,000$391,000
Castro County, TX$306,000$391,000
Cherokee County, TX$306,000$391,000
Childress County, TX$306,000$391,000
Cochran County, TX$306,000$391,000
Coke County, TX$306,000$391,000
Coleman County, TX$306,000$391,000
College Station-Bryan, TX MSA$306,000$391,000
Collingsworth County, TX$306,000$391,000
Colorado County, TX$306,000$391,000
Comanche County, TX$306,000$391,000
Concho County, TX$306,000$391,000
Cooke County, TX$306,000$391,000
Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Cottle County, TX$306,000$391,000
Crane County, TX$323,000$417,000
Crockett County, TX$306,000$391,000
Culberson County, TX$306,000$391,000
Dallam County, TX$306,000$391,000
Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$340,000$431,000
Dawson County, TX$306,000$391,000
Deaf Smith County, TX$306,000$391,000
Delta County, TX$306,000$391,000
DeWitt County, TX$306,000$391,000
Dickens County, TX$306,000$391,000
Dimmit County, TX$306,000$391,000
Donley County, TX$306,000$391,000
Duval County, TX$306,000$391,000
Eastland County, TX$306,000$391,000
Edwards County, TX$306,000$391,000
El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Erath County, TX$306,000$391,000
Falls County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Fannin County, TX$306,000$391,000
Fayette County, TX$306,000$391,000
Fisher County, TX$306,000$391,000
Floyd County, TX$306,000$391,000
Foard County, TX$306,000$391,000
Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$408,000
Franklin County, TX$306,000$391,000
Freestone County, TX$306,000$391,000
Frio County, TX$306,000$391,000
Gaines County, TX$306,000$391,000
Garza County, TX$306,000$391,000
Gillespie County, TX$306,000$391,000
Glasscock County, TX$374,000$483,000
Gonzales County, TX$306,000$391,000
Gray County, TX$306,000$391,000
Grimes County, TX$306,000$391,000
Hale County, TX$306,000$391,000
Hall County, TX$306,000$391,000
Hamilton County, TX$306,000$391,000
Hansford County, TX$306,000$391,000
Hardeman County, TX$306,000$391,000
Harrison County, TX$306,000$391,000
Hartley County, TX$323,000$408,000
Haskell County, TX$306,000$391,000
Hemphill County, TX$306,000$391,000
Henderson County, TX$306,000$391,000
Hill County, TX$306,000$391,000
Hockley County, TX$306,000$391,000
Hood County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Hopkins County, TX$306,000$391,000
Houston County, TX$306,000$391,000
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$408,000
Howard County, TX$306,000$391,000
Hudspeth County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Hutchinson County, TX$306,000$391,000
Irion County, TX SEA$306,000$391,000
Jack County, TX$306,000$391,000
Jackson County, TX$306,000$391,000
Jasper County, TX$306,000$391,000
Jeff Davis County, TX$306,000$391,000
Jim Hogg County, TX$306,000$391,000
Jim Wells County, TX$306,000$391,000
Karnes County, TX$306,000$391,000
Kendall County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$374,000$483,000
Kenedy County, TX$306,000$391,000
Kent County, TX$306,000$391,000
Kerr County, TX$306,000$391,000
Killeen-Temple, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Kimble County, TX$306,000$391,000
King County, TX$323,000$417,000
Kinney County, TX$306,000$391,000
Kleberg County, TX$306,000$391,000
Knox County, TX$306,000$391,000
La Salle County, TX$306,000$391,000
Lamar County, TX$306,000$391,000
Lamb County, TX$306,000$391,000
Lampasas County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Laredo, TX MSA$306,000$391,000
Lavaca County, TX$306,000$391,000
Lee County, TX$306,000$391,000
Leon County, TX$306,000$391,000
Limestone County, TX$306,000$391,000
Lipscomb County, TX$323,000$417,000
Live Oak County, TX$306,000$391,000
Llano County, TX$306,000$391,000
Longview, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Loving County, TX$323,000$417,000
Lubbock, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Lynn County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Madison County, TX$306,000$391,000
Marion County, TX$306,000$391,000
Martin County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Mason County, TX$306,000$391,000
Matagorda County, TX$306,000$391,000
Maverick County, TX$306,000$391,000
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA$306,000$391,000
McCulloch County, TX$306,000$391,000
McMullen County, TX$306,000$391,000
Medina County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Menard County, TX$306,000$391,000
Midland, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$357,000$466,000
Milam County, TX$306,000$391,000
Mills County, TX$306,000$391,000
Mitchell County, TX$306,000$391,000
Montague County, TX$306,000$391,000
Moore County, TX$306,000$391,000
Morris County, TX$306,000$391,000
Motley County, TX$306,000$391,000
Nacogdoches County, TX$306,000$391,000
Navarro County, TX$306,000$391,000
Newton County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Nolan County, TX$306,000$391,000
Ochiltree County, TX$306,000$391,000
Odessa, TX MSA$306,000$391,000
Oldham County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Palo Pinto County, TX$306,000$391,000
Panola County, TX$306,000$391,000
Parmer County, TX$306,000$391,000
Pecos County, TX$306,000$391,000
Polk County, TX$306,000$391,000
Presidio County, TX$306,000$391,000
Rains County, TX$306,000$391,000
Reagan County, TX$306,000$408,000
Real County, TX$306,000$391,000
Red River County, TX$306,000$391,000
Reeves County, TX$306,000$391,000
Refugio County, TX$306,000$391,000
Roberts County, TX$357,000$466,000
Runnels County, TX$306,000$391,000
Rusk County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Sabine County, TX$306,000$391,000
San Angelo, TX MSA$306,000$391,000
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
San Augustine County, TX$306,000$391,000
San Jacinto County, TX$306,000$391,000
San Saba County, TX$306,000$391,000
Schleicher County, TX$306,000$391,000
Scurry County, TX$306,000$391,000
Shackelford County, TX$306,000$391,000
Shelby County, TX$306,000$391,000
Sherman County, TX$306,000$391,000
Sherman-Denison, TX MSA$306,000$391,000
Somervell County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Starr County, TX$306,000$391,000
Stephens County, TX$306,000$391,000
Sterling County, TX$306,000$391,000
Stonewall County, TX$306,000$391,000
Sutton County, TX$306,000$391,000
Swisher County, TX$306,000$391,000
Terrell County, TX$306,000$391,000
Terry County, TX$306,000$391,000
Texarkana, TX-Texarkana, AR HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Throckmorton County, TX$306,000$391,000
Titus County, TX$306,000$391,000
Trinity County, TX$306,000$391,000
Tyler County, TX$306,000$391,000
Tyler, TX MSA$306,000$391,000
Upton County, TX$306,000$391,000
Uvalde County, TX$306,000$391,000
Val Verde County, TX$306,000$391,000
Van Zandt County, TX$306,000$391,000
Victoria, TX MSA$306,000$391,000
Waco, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Walker County, TX$306,000$391,000
Ward County, TX$306,000$391,000
Washington County, TX$306,000$391,000
Wharton County, TX$306,000$391,000
Wheeler County, TX$306,000$391,000
Wichita Falls, TX MSA$306,000$391,000
Wilbarger County, TX$306,000$391,000
Willacy County, TX$306,000$391,000
Winkler County, TX$306,000$391,000
Wise County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area$306,000$391,000
Wood County, TX$306,000$391,000
Yoakum County, TX$306,000$391,000
Young County, TX$306,000$391,000
Zapata County, TX$306,000$391,000
Zavala County, TX$306,000$391,000

Additional USDA Limits

What is the maximum amount that I can borrow with a USDA Loan?

The maximum amount for a USDA home loan in Texas is determined by:

  • Maximum Loan Amount: There’s no set maximum loan amount for USDA rural home loans in TX. Instead, your debt-to-income ratios dictate how much home your can afford (29/41 ratios). Additionally, your total household monthly income must be within USDA allowed maximum income limits for your area. Maximum USDA Guaranteed Loan income limits for all areas can be found at here.
  • Maximum Financing: The maximum USDA Rural Development Loan amount in TX is 100% of the home’s appraised value plus the 1% USDA RD Loan guarantee fee.

What types of loans does USDA offer in Texas?

Two USDA home loan options are presently available in Texas for single family households. These programs are backed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture by way of its Rural Development Housing Loans:

  • Texas USDA Guaranteed Home Loans – Guaranteed Loans the most common Rural Housing Loans in Texas, because they accommodate higher income limits and 100% financing for home purchases. USDA Guaranteed applicants may have an income of up to 115% of the median household income for the area, which average $61,874 across the state. Specific area income limits for the program can be viewed here. All USDA Guaranteed Loans carry 30 year terms and are set at a fixed rate.
  • Texas USDA Direct Home Loans – USDA Direct Housing Loans in Texas are less common than USDA Guaranteed Loans and are only available for low and very low income households to obtain homeownership, as defined by the USDA. Very low income is defined as below 50 percent of the area median income (AMI); low income is between 50 and 80 percent of AMI; moderate income is 80 to 100 percent of AMI. Click here to see area income limits for this program.

What factors determine if I’m eligible for a USDA Loan in Texas?

To be eligible for a USDA loan in Texas, your monthly housing costs (mortgage principal and interest, property taxes, and insurance) must meet a specified percentage of your gross monthly income (29% ratio). Your credit background will be fairly considered. A 620 FICO credit score is generally required to obtain a USDA Rural Housing Loan approval through most lenders. You must also have enough income to pay your housing costs plus all additional monthly debt (41% ratio). These ratios can be exceeded somewhat with compensating factors. Applicants for loans may have an income of up to 115% of the median income for the area. Families must be without adequate housing, but be able to afford the mortgage payments, including taxes and insurance.

How much money will I need for the down payment and closing costs?

Rural Development Mortgages in Texas require no down payment and they allow for the closing costs to be included in the loan amount (appraisal permitting).

What property types are allowed for USDA Mortgages?

While USDA Guidelines do require that the property be Owner Occupied (OO), they also allow you to purchase condos, planned unit developments, manufactured homes, and single family residences.

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